Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have mentioned “productive negotiations” in the direction of a UK-US financial prosperity deal in a telephone name, Downing Street mentioned, as fears develop the UK could also be landed with US tariffs.
The pair agreed that negotiations will “continue at pace” within the Sunday evening name, which got here after residence secretary Yvette Cooper warned that “no option is off the table” when it comes to a British response to any US tariffs.
The UK is attempting to barter an exemption from tariffs on all imports into the US. Negotiations are mentioned to be intense, with strikes to lower and even abolish a British tax on US large tech companies among the many bargaining chips.
Mr Trump earlier this week introduced a 25 per cent import tax on all vehicles arriving within the US, a measure which is able to hit British luxurious carmakers together with Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin. It comes on prime of a collection of reciprocal tariffs set to return into impact on April 2, which can contain a normal 20% tax on UK merchandise in response to the speed of VAT.
A Downing Street spokesperson mentioned the President had opened by wishing King Charles “good health”.
They added: “They discussed the productive negotiations between their respective teams on a UK-US economic prosperity deal, agreeing that these will continue at pace this week.”
Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme Ms Cooper said: “In the end, if you increase barriers to trade right across the world, that’s not good for the world economy, let alone any individual country as part of that.
“So that’s why our approach to this has been to try and seek new trade agreements across the world, including improving our trading relationship with the EU, as well as with the US.”
Discussions with the US over exemptions from the levy are “intense”, she said. Ms Cooper added: “We obviously can’t keep a running commentary on different discussions that are taking place, but we have to always make sure that we’re acting in the national interest.”
The phone call between Downing Street and Washington also addressed the Ukraine war.
“Discussing Ukraine, the Prime Minister up to date the President on the productive discussions on the assembly of the Coalition of Willing in Paris this week. The leaders agreed on the necessity to sustain the collective strain on Putin,” Downing Street mentioned.
“They agreed to stay in touch in the coming days.”
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-starmer-trade-deal-tariffs-putin-b2724189.html